GAINESVILLE, Fla. – When freshman quarterback DJ Lagway enrolled in classes at UF in January, he brought with him Texas-sized hype. Such is life for a five-star prospect who grew up in Willis, Texas, and signed with the Gators as the program's most-ballyhooed recruit since Tim Tebow.
Lagway's true-freshman season has been a roller coaster for the 19-year-old. Same for Gators fans who view Lagway as most important piece of head coach Billy Napier's rebuild.
Lagway opened the season as the backup to Graham Mertz, threw for 456 yards in his first career start in Week 2, returned to a backup role when Mertz returned from a concussion, and then took over as the starter when Mertz suffered a season-ending knee injury at midseason. After the Gators won Lagway's first two starts, he had them leading then-No. 2 Georgia in the second quarter when he went down with a left hamstring injury. The silence on UF's side of EverBank Stadium was deafening as trainers tended to Lagway. DJ Lagway is 3-1 in his four starts. (Photo: Bella Rosa/UAA Communications)
"That moment was definitely eye opening,'' he said after last week's win over LSU. "It was definitely an experience that I won't forget because I feel like we were having great momentum in that game, and I feel like my teammates, they rallied behind me. When they all came up to me on the cart, that meant a lot to me. It showed how much my guys love me and I love them, and that's definitely a moment I won't forget."
Lagway missed the rest of the eventual loss to Georgia and, in a return to his native state, watched the Gators get blown out at Texas two weeks ago. However, Lagway was back on the field a week ago and passed for 226 yards and a touchdown in Florida's upset of No. 21 LSU at The Swamp. He earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors for his gutsy comeback performance, forced to remain in the pocket to protect his tender hamstring.
Lagway's performance and the Gators' win renewed excitement around the program. Florida (5-5, 3-4) hosts No. 9 Ole Miss (8-2, 4-2) on Saturday afternoon in the regular-season finale at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The Gators can become bowl-eligible with a victory and clinch a .500 record in conference play for the first time since 2020.
The Rebels, who lead the country with 46 sacks, have taken notice of Lagway.
"He's in his own category," Rebels linebacker TJ Dottery told reporters this week. "I think the kid's really, really good. He has a lot of potential."
Lagway is what coaches refer to as a "difference-maker." Yes, he is a talented player who can make big plays, but he's more than that. Lagway sounds, acts and plays like a leader. He oozes maturity behind his years, showcased by his ability to scale back his dual-threat talents to operate more as a traditional drop-back passer against the Tigers.
Napier and Lagway had extensive conversations about their approach to whether he would play against LSU, and as the week progressed, Napier witnessed more reasons why Lagway is the kind of player that can change a team's mojo by simply being on the field.
"Part of the message was, 'look, I think this is part of the challenge. Can you evolve as a player? Can you play a little short-handed? This will be good for your development as a whole.' You have to view the game in that regard. It's not an option. Now, don't get me wrong. I think he did extend the play [at times]. He did move in the pocket. He did a really good job in that regard, but I thought overall he handled it pretty well. Look, there were a handful of plays out there, missed opportunities. I mean, he could have had a big, big day.
"He's still a young player. He's still evolving. I think that was a good kind of experience for him long-term that he can lean on in the future."
Meanwhile, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin has a "difference-maker" at quarterback as well. Senior Jaxson Dart leads the SEC in passing and sets the tone for the conference's top offense. Slowing down Dart is priority No. 1 for Florida's defense on Saturday. If the Gators can do that, and Lagway continues on his upward trajectory, Napier might have an opportunity to show off his dance moves in the locker room once again.
In this edition of The Opening Kickoff, here is a closer look at the Florida-Ole Miss matchup:
THREE STORYLINES
Both Florida and Ole Miss are coming off their biggest victories of the season. The Gators defeated LSU a week ago to move closer to bowl eligibility. The Rebels re-entered the College Football Playoff hunt with a dominant home win over Georgia two weeks ago. It's a big game for both programs, and for much different reasons.
Gators coach Billy Napier and Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin have about as different public personas as exist in college football. Napier is a humble leader easy to imagine as a Sunday School teacher the morning after a signature victory. It's easy to imagine Kiffin — at least the edgy Kiffin of a few years ago — staying out late and partying with undergraduates. Kiffin has settled down some but remains a funny follow on social media and brazen play-caller on Saturdays. The two have never squared off as head coaches but did work together as offensive assistants on Nick Saban's staff at Alabama from 2014-16. Wonder if they ever pulled an all-nighter together after one of those big Crimson Tide wins?
Florida's win over LSU was the third over an AP Top 25 team for Napier in his three seasons with the Gators. The mood around town changed drastically this week in the wake of DJ Lagway's return (see above) and the program's most important victory of the season, snapping a five-game losing streak to the Tigers. The Gators remain a heavy underdog to the Rebels but pulling off another upset seems more feasible than a week ago. Not many talked that way after the deflating loss at Texas heading into the LSU game.
THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Gators QB DJ Lagway returned from a hamstring injury to throw for 226 yards and a touchdown to lead UF to a victory over No. 21 LSU. Lagway was not 100% and limited to being a pocket passer, but his ability to make plays in the deep passing game proved critical as the Gators improved to 3-0 at home with Lagway as the starter. Ole Miss has the nation's 16th-ranked defense (309.2 ypg) and fifth-ranked scoring defense (12.9 ppg). In addition, the Rebels lead the nation with 46 sacks, so if Lagway is once again limited as a runner, he will either have to get rid of the ball quickly or the offensive line must extend its protection to give him the time to make plays.
Opposite Lagway is Ole Miss senior QB Jaxson Dart, who is having a banner season for the Rebels. Dart leads the SEC with 3,409 passing yards and 22 touchdowns. He now has 26 career wins as Mississippi's starter, establishing a new school record. Dart is more of a traditional drop-back passer than Lagway, but he can get outside the pocket and make plays, too. Dart is second on the team with 304 rushing yards and leads all FBS players in total offense (371.3 ypg).
Princely Umanmielen left the Gators to transfer to Ole Miss after last season, and whatever the Rebels paid for his services has been money well-spent. Umanmielen leads the SEC with 9.5 sacks and ranks fourth with 12 TFLs. Umanmielen was a productive player for the Gators who his having a breakout season at Ole Miss. He joins fellow edge rusher Jared Ivey (7 sacks), DT Walter Nolen (4 sacks) and DT JJ Pegues (2.5 sacks) to form one of the best defensive lines in the country.
THREE QUESTIONS WITH … GATORS WR CHIMERE DIKE
Chimere Dike is one of 21 Gators participating in Senior Day ceremonies on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. (Photo: Maddie Washburn/UAA Communications)
A fifth-year senior, Dike transferred to UF after playing four seasons at Wisconsin. He has played in more than 50 games during his college career and is eager for a final home game.
Q:How do you feel about Senior Day? A: It's obviously bittersweet. I'm grateful to be able to have the experience of being a Florida Gator, come out with the guys that we've been working really hard with this season and through some adversity, but it's obviously a big game as well. I'm excited, and I think I've played enough college football for everyone, so I'm ready for the next step. I'm definitely going to cherish this one.
Q:Do you have a punt return TD in you? A: I hope so. I muffed one in the fourth [last week]. I'm going to get that cleaned up. Coach Houston works so hard for us. His scheme every single week is so detailed, and our guys bust our butts. I'm just thankful to be a part of that unit, play for him. We're looking to get one of these the last couple of weeks. That's the goal.
Q:What do you think it will be like to have Graham Mertz out there with you? A: I think he deserves the biggest one. He's given everything he has to this program. The leadership he's shown to DJ [Lagway] and the rest of our team this year has been really impactful. He played really good football when he was given the opportunity at the University of Florida.
THREE DIGITS
99.4 – FBS-best passing grade for Gators true freshman QB DJ Lagway on throws of 20 or more yards. 44– Years since Wayne Peace started in a 15-3 win at Ole Miss to become first true freshman QB to ever start for the Gators. 16 – Years since Ole Miss' victory at Florida Field led to former Gators QB Tim Tebow's famous "The Promise" speech after the game.
This is the 26th all-time meeting between Florida and Mississippi. The series is tied 12-12-1.
The Gators are 4-6-1 all-time vs. Ole Miss in Gainesville. Their first victory over the Rebels came in Jacksonville in 1945.
This is Mississippi's first trip to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium since 2015. Florida upset the No. 3-ranked Rebels 38-10.
Florida WR Elijhah Badger had his third 100-yard game of the season and seventh of his career last week vs. LSU. He caught six passes for 131 yards.
UF senior RB Montrell Johnson Jr. returned to action against LSU after missing three games due to injury. Johnson rushed twice for 14 yards. He is 171 yards shy of reaching 3,000 career rushing yards.
Gators DL Tyreak Sapp had a career-high four tackles-for-loss in the win over LSU. Florida's defense finished with a season-high 11 TFLs.
Rebels DB Trey Amos has a team-high three interceptions. He played for UF head coach Billy Napier at Louisiana for two seasons (2020-21).
Florida faces a team ranked in the top 10 at the time of the matchup for the fourth time this season. The Gators lost to No. 8 Tennessee, No. 2 Georgia and No. 5 Texas.
UF freshman RB Jadan Baugh has rushed for 323 yards in the last four games, with 180 yards (55.7 percent) coming after contact.
Rebels QB Jaxson Dart became the first quarterback to throw for 500 or more yards and six touchdowns against an SEC defense. Dart threw for 515 yards and six TDs in a 63-31 win at Arkansas on Nov. 2.
THEY SAID IT
"Players ask for it. I delivered. My sons have been very critical of my Griddy the last day or two. I think I got a six out of 10 or something like that. Maybe I'll do better next time." — Gators head coach Billy Napier on his locker-room dance following the LSU win
"We love coach Napier. We love the job that he's doing here, and we ultimately believe in him. I'd be lying if I said we weren't seeing the tweets and the blogs and all the rumors." — Gators LB Shemar James on SiriusXM College
"Ole Miss does a tremendous job with the tempo of their offense. They do a good job of moving the ball downfield, taking vertical shots, getting the ball to the perimeter, establishing a run game. So, we need to stop the run like every week and then get [Dart] off his spot and force him into positions where he is uncomfortable and force him to make mistakes." — Gators edge rusher Jack Pyburn on facing the Rebels
WHY GATORS WILL WIN
They duplicate their outing against LSU defensively, a bend-but-don't-break performance that keeps the Rebels out of the end zone and forces at least two turnovers. And they marry their coverage and pass rush the way they did against the Tigers, registering six sacks. Meanwhile, Lagway plays another clean game, the offensive line wins the majority of snaps against Ole Miss' defensive front, and the running game does enough to keep the Rebels guessing.
WHY OLE MISS WILL WIN
The Rebels find an early rhythm on offense and confuse the Gators defensively the way Texas did. They jump to a two-score lead in the first half and force the Gators to pass the ball, which puts Lagway in a difficult position less than 100%. That is the best-case scenario for the Rebels and worst-case scenario for the Gators.
